Sunday, August 16, 2009

Jeepers trip to Corbett, Ramnagar

Hey guysI have actually decided to name the MM550 as "The Ranger". I always wanted to name the vehicle but couldn't decide an appropriate name. Now I am thinking a good name for my CJ3B

So when I updated this thread last I had done some updated on the Ranger and had given notes as watermarks in the photographs!!! What I couldn't write is that I also changed the Clutch Wire and bought a set of Radiator hoses, fanbelts, tubes etc as preparations for the corbett trip. Also I put a new cap on the radiator which I dint do earlier as I was told that this should be left open untill I run the vehicle for for 1k kms!!! (maybe as it was a newly built engine)So these were the normal updates!!!

Corbett TripI took the Ranger for the Corbett trip and it preformed remarkably well!!! During the entire trip the vehicle din't overheat, no major issues, and everything was perfect!!!

My conclusions after the trip were

The clucth again became very hard

The vehicle was squeking from all nooks, corners, joints imaginable.

After I came back I had to get the body bush changed as when I went to Mayapuri before my trip the denter who was tightening the seats, doors etc told my driver that they were wornout and needed to be changed. I apparently got them changed at the 1st workshop (read greater Greater Nodia), but maybe it couldn't be done on time or whatever!!!

The power steering fluid leaked on the way back and fluid container was completely empty!!! Strangely I din't feel the steering becoming heavy at all but we stopped at Kashipur and bought 1/2 a liter of fluid (90 bucks) and filled it up. The culprit was loose bolts. I think that must have loosened by the contant usage at OTR's!!!

Apart for this there were no issues whatsoever. i did alot of river crossings, boulders, etc and was pretty satisfied with the vehicle!!!

On the return trip we were travelling alongwith Shashanks vehicle occupied by Shashank himself, Randeep and Sudhir (Randeep's friend) started at 11AM from the resort and left Ramnagar at 12 after buying souviniers, Diesel etc etc were at Delhi at 8PM.Now this looks like a long time but took 4 breaks of approx 15-20 minutes and stopped for lunch for about a hour and 15 minutes!!!

The clutch is very hard and I showed it to a mechanic in Ramnagar as he said that the issue is not with the clutch wire but something else!!! I am not able to understand this too.

So now I want a find out a good mechanic as my driver went to Mayapuri and the guy there says that "this is how jeeps clutch's are, change the cable again!!!!"

Now I think that I again don't want to spend the money and still not find a permanent solution to this problem!!! What I've learnt is that these (Mayapuri mechanic) are good for small small issues but now I would like to go to a decent guy who even if he charges me a little more money, but not take me for a ride.i actually don't mind going to an authorised service station provided the guys doing the work there understand jeeps.